2017-12-16

朋友们，今天的福音把洗者若翰的出现等同于人们期待着的先知厄里亚归来。耶稣的先驱若翰出现在沙漠里。他代表着身处于荒芜的罪恶沙漠的我们所有人。若翰似乎故意到沙漠里去提醒我们：我们需要天主的恩宠。

 

他宣告的是什么？悔改的洗礼。这信息很好：把你的人生交给至高无上者。群众从四面八方来到他面前，因为我们在心中对这信息都有共鸣。

 

在《旧约》中，先知经常被要求把人们的某种特质表演出来，人们对这些特质也许视若无睹或者不愿直视。这一传统在此得以延续：若翰把人们在主面前的无助和贫苦表演出来。然后，就像厄里亚，他并没有就此罢休。他宣告要以圣神洗礼的那位就要来了。

 

Friends, today’s Gospel passage identifies the appearance of John the Baptist with the expected return of the prophet Elijah. John, the herald of Christ, appears in the desert. Here he stands for all of us in the desert of sin, the lifeless place. It is as though John purposely went there to remind us of our need for grace.

 

What is he proclaiming? A baptism of repentance. This is the great message. Turn your life over to a higher power. People are coming to him from all sides, because in our heart of hearts we all resonate with this message.

 

So often in the Old Testament the prophets are asked to act out some quality of the people, perhaps something they were unable or unwilling to see. Well, this tradition continues here: John acts out for the people their helplessness and neediness before the Lord. But then, like Isaiah, he refuses to leave it at that. He announces that one is coming, one who will baptize in the Holy Spirit.